Blast furnace test rod



ZZGEvEM/VEZAX a r/twa Nov. 22, 1932.

E. M. NEEI Y BLAST FURNACE TEST ROD Fild Dec. 28. 1929 Patented Nov. 22 1932 UNITED STATES EUGENE M. NEELY, OF SWISSVA LE, PENNSYLVANIA BLAST FURNACE 'rns'r ROD Application filed December 28, 1929 Serial No. 417,183.

This invention relates to a test rod and associated operating mechanism and aims to provide improvements whereby the opening in the furnace through which the test'rod e2;- tends is effectively sealed. The invention also aims to provide an improved guide for the test rod which is so designed that it can be removed in sections so as to permit the quick withdrawal and replacement of a new test rod when the necessity arises. The invention is exemplified in the accompanying drawing.

In which:

Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic elevation of a blast furnace with a portion broken away to illustrate the application of my invention thereto;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a blast furnace top showing the improved test rod incorporated therein;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the component parts of the test rod guide slightly separated;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 10 represents a conventional form of blast furnace having an outer metallic shell 12 which is secured at the top of the furnace to a lip ring 14 having a substantially horizontal flange 16 forming a seat for a laterally extending flange 18 forming part of the hopper 20. The hopper 20 is closed at its lower end by the usual distributing bell 22.

The flange 18 of the hopper has an aperture 24 formed therein into which extends a gland 26. The latter is formed with a flange 28 having suitable bolts 30 extending therethrough forfastening it to the flange 18 of the hopper. The gland is formed with an internally threaded aperture 32. Into this aperture there is fitted a test rod guide comprising two sections 3434 having threads 36 to match the threads of the gland.

The guide members 3434 are each provided with a spherical seat 38 adapted to coact with a ball-like enlargement 40 formed on the lower extremity of the test rod 42.

The diameter ofthetest rod is slightly less than that of the guidebore 44 formed in the guide members 34. At its upper extremity the test rod 42 has an eye 46 which is con-'- nected with a flexible cable 48 trained over,

sheaves 50, 52 and 54 and around a pulley Y 56 which engages the bight 58 of the cable be tween the guide pulley 54' and an opposite guide pulley 60. The sheave 56 carries a suspension member 62 which in turnsupports a weight 64, which, when the test rod isinits elevated position, tends to yieldingly hold the enlargement 40 against theseat 38 of the guide'so as to effectively seal the opening through which the test rod passes and thereby prevent the escape of gases from the furnace.

The cable 48 after passing over the sheave is guided on another sheave 66 and then secured to an operating drum 68 carried on a shaft 70 to which is secureda gear 72 adapted to be driven by a crank 74 through a pinion 7.6. Any suitable means such as {a pawl 78 is provided to preventthe weight 64 from turning the drum 68 countereclockwisei The shaft 70 carriesa pointer 80 adapted to indicate on a scale 82 the'position of the ex tremity of the test rod after the samehas been lowered into contact with the charge within the furnace. W i Normally the test rod 42 will be held in elevated position-the weight 64 tendingto yieldingly hold theenlargement 40 in gastight" engagement with the spherical seat formed in the split guide member. Whenthe operator wishes to ascertain the level of the stock in the furnace, the crank arm 74 will be rotated clockwise. During the initial movement, the weight 64 will take up a certain amount of lost ,motion. When the weight comes to rest on the support 84, the

pointer 80 will register zero. Upon further movement of the operating crank, the test rod will start to descend, and the extent of its movement will be accurately indicated by the pointer and scale 82.

In the event that the testrod becomes dam aged, it can be easily and quicklyremoved because of the sectionalconstruction ofthe guide member.- By merely unscrewing the guide, the two parts thereof can beseparated and the enlarged spherical end 40 removed upwardly through the bore of the gland which is of such diameter to permit free passage. A new test rod can then be inserted through the gland with the two halves of the guide member embracing it. The latter can be then quickly screwed into the gland. Because of the sectional or split construction of the guide member the replacement can be effected very rapidly so that the escape of gases from the furnace will be minimized. This is a feature of considerable importance because it is extremely dangerous to permit gases to escape from the furnace top. By the utilization of the split guide the opening for the test rod can be kept within a small area, hence during the time of making a change or repair only a very small quantity of gas can escape.v This minimizes the hazard to the workmen engaged in installin or replacing the test rod.

Y ile I have described quite specifically various features of the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated it is not to be construed that I am limited thereto since Various modifications may be made with out departure from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

'What I claim is: 7 e

'1. In a device of the class described, a test valve, a guide secured in the furnace and having a seat for coaction with said enlargement, a flexible member connected to said rod, winding means for taking up and slacking said flexible member to raise and lower sai rod, a pair of horizontally spaced sheaves adjacent said winding means, said flexible member being threaded over said horizontally spaced sheave and looped downwardly between said sheaves to form a bight-like portion, a sheave carrying a weight of greater weight than said rod mounted in said bightlike portion of said flexible member between said horizontally spaced sheaves so as to yieldably hold said enlargement in engagement with said seat when said flexible member'is taken up by said winding means so as to suspend said weight,an'd a'suppo'rt adapted to receive said weight when said winding means is operated to slacken said flexiblemem ber so as to remove the pull of said weight from said flexible member and permit said rod to be lowered as said flexible member is slackened. Y

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name. EUGENE M. NEELY.

rfod having a ball-shaped enlargement formed on its lower end and having its upper end bent upon itself to form an eye, a gland havifng'a bore of greater diameter than said ballshaped enlargement, a two-piece longitudinally split guide member threaded in said gland and havingfa bore of slightly greater diameter than saidrod and of materially less diameter than said enlargement or said eye, said guide havingthe lower end of its bore enlarged to forma spherical seat for coaction with said enlargement, a flexible member connected to said eye, winding means for said flexible member, a pair of horizontally spaced sheaves between said eye and said winding means, said flexible member being threaded over said horizontally spaced sheaves and looped downwardly between said sheaves to form a bight-like portion, a sheave carrying a weight of greater weight than saidrod mounted in said bight-like portion of said flexible member between said horizontally spaced sheaves so as to'yieldably hold said enlargement in engagement with said seat when said flexible member is taken u'p by said winding means so as to suspend said'weight, and a support adapted to re-' ceive said weight when said winding means is operated to slacken said flexible member lie so as to remove the pull of said weight from Y 4 2. In 'combinationiwith a blast'fu rnac'e, a

test rod having an enlargement forming a 

